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10 Dec 2016 3:00:37am

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This isn't really about women's bodies though is it? There's no discussion of whether they can sell a lung, a kidney or even a breast for spare parts surgery. This discussion is about women's body image and their right to self expression, especially that which tends to challenge established cultural tropes about sexuality and the like.

I think we all own our bodies in a way that says any person can use their body in a way that might be celebrated if it has an element of unselfishness to it. The only fallacy to be avoided here would therefore be to think that being selfless automatically makes one choice better than all others.

Whereas Jolie might choose mastectomy for the good of her children's' upbringing so might Femen dignify their activism if it produces the desired respect for women's rights in their countries and beyond. Disrobing is something Femen embrace not out of a selfish desire but in recognition of its utility in drawing attention to their causes. It may in that sense be just as altruistic if not more so than Jolie's decision.

The bigger picture here though is that it seems that the author here is looking for a way to value Jolie's choice over Femen's not for the relative merits of the two but in a way that simply relies on valuing modesty far more highly than seems necessary. The fact that Femen may also succeed in challenging that taboo probably can't come a minute too soon.